Great Britain - London's Tourist Sites

Our last stop on our Great Britain holiday was London. We had visited London a couple of times, but there is so much to see and there are so many easy side trips to take, that we decided to spend a few days before flying home to the States.

Clock Tower at the Houses of Parliament

London (as well as the rest of the UK and Ireland) is a great destination for the first-time European vacationer. For those a bit nervous about visiting countries that speak languages foreign to us, English-speaking countries make for an easy place to start exploring Europe. However, no one should be afraid to travel just because they don’t know a language, we have never had a problem anywhere we have gone. That is not to say that it isn’t good to learn at least some basics of a country’s language. It is surprising how helpful knowing a few key words and phrases can be, and the effort is appreciated by locals.

Now that Great Britain is no longer part of the European Union, it is a little less easy and more time consuming to go to and from EU countries than it used to be. There are six airports in the London area with the main one, if arriving from the States, being Heathrow. Heathrow is comprised of several terminals and can be a nightmare to navigate. It is advisable to allow plenty of time if connecting through or if flying from there. Taxis, buses, trains, and subways (the tube) are available for transport into town.

Big Tourist Bus

Around nine train stations are spread throughout the city and are connected by the tube or taxis. Taxis are regulated, so no worries about being overcharged. It is a good idea to become familiar with the city layout and the tube and train stations by studying a detailed city map ahead of time.

In addition to ground transportation an enjoyable way to get to sites along the river Thames, such as the Tower of London or Greenwich, is to take a river cruise. This is especially pleasant on a nice, warm day.

Big bus tours are plentiful in London and it is the only city that we have actually taken this kind of tour. It is a great way to get the lay of the land, locate all the major sites, and decide where to return. Twenty-four-hour tickets allow plenty of time to take advantage of the hop on and off service.

British Museum's Diamond Oak-Leaf Tiara

Although it may seem daunting at first glance, London is a great walking city. Many sites are clustered, making it easy to stroll from one place to another or to simply wander about.

Even when it was part of the EU, the Euro was never used in Great Britain, they chose to retain the pound (GBP or £) as their currency. The best way to obtain local currency is always through a local bank’s ATM. It is advisable to take out cash when the bank is open on the off chance that a problem is encountered, or the debit card gets somehow stuck in the machine.

Like Paris or New York, there are a bounty of sites in London to visit and multiple choices of entertainment to enjoy, neighborhoods to explore, restaurants to dine, and side trips to take. A good guidebook always assists in laying out the best itinerary to suit everyone’s interests. In this post I’ll cover some of the more interesting sites to visit. There are too many to provide a complete list, but a guidebook will list them all.

Chihuly Rotunda Chandelier
Victoria and Albert Museum

Most everything in London is expensive, including tourist sites, but there are several great museums that do not charge a set entrance fee, although most ask for a modest donation. One of my favorites is the British Museum. The British Museum was the first public national museum in the world. Its permanent collection consists of over eight million artifacts that take visitors through a tour of the world’s civilization from its primitive beginning to present day. Interesting special and touring exhibits are nearly always on display.

Another museum that I love is the Victoria and Albert Museum. This museum boasts the world’s top collection of decorative arts (stained glass, ceramics, furniture, jewelry, etc.). When we were there the first time, there was an incredible temporary exhibit of Dale Chihuly glass.

The Museum of London is the perfect place to learn about the history of this wonderful city. If there is a city museum available to visit in any town, it is always a good idea to do so as they are usually very interesting and worthwhile.

For lovers of European paintings, the National Gallery has an amazing collection dating from 1250 to 1900. Familiar artists such as Leonardo, Rembrandt, Turner, and many Impressionist painters are represented.

There are two Tate museums, the Tate Britain which houses British paintings from the 16th century through more recent times, and the Tate Modern which features works of more contemporary artists such as Hockney, Pollock, Warhol, and Lichtenstein.

Westminster Abbey

Natural history museums are always fun for the whole family and London has a fine one. There is also a good science museum next door. For family fun, and a not so serious activity, there is the funky Madame Tussauds Waxworks.

One of the best-known churches in the world is the magnificent Westminster Abbey. Since 1066 British royalty have been crowned, wed, and buried there. It is as much a museum as it is a church and, although pricey to enter, is well worth some time.

I must admit I resent paying a large fee to enter a church, believing that it should be open to the public without charge. I understand that these historical structures need constant care and maintenance and have no problem with donation requests, but the £20 admittance to St. Paul’s just seems outrageous. It is a huge and beautiful cathedral for sure. It’s 365-foot dome can be seen all over the city and its elaborate interior is a Baroque masterpiece. It just seems awfully expensive.

Tower of London

To explore how the British government works, the Houses of Parliament are interesting to visit, and for WWII history buffs, the nearby Churchill War Rooms provide a fascinating peek into Britain’s fight against the Nazis. For more war history, located on the south bank, the Imperial War Museum covers the wars from WWI to Afghanistan.

Royal watchers will enjoy Buckingham Palace which offers tours of a few rooms, but only in August and September when the Queen is out of town. And fans of pomp will enjoy the changing of the guard daily May through July and every other day August through April. 

Prior to Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace was the royal residence. The palace has three main exhibits open to tourists.

 London Eye

A castle, a notorious prison and the crown jewels are all housed in one site, the Tower of London. A visit here is an entertaining time for the young and old alike. We took a boat to the tower which added a little extra fun and provided an up-close look at the iconic Tower Bridge.

The London Eye is a giant Ferris wheel located on the river’s south bank. It takes a half hour to rotate all the way around for a bird’s eye view of the city. As are most sites in London, it's very expensive.

It is a good idea to always look online for advance-purchase discounts, family packages or combo-tickets to save money. I’ll cover some of the interesting neighborhoods and easy side trips in future London posts.